Closing means for metal shells



Nov. 26, 1940.

T. O. KOSATKA CLOSING MEANS .FOR METAL SHELLS Filed Oct. 29, 1958r11/111111111, 11111 /III/IIIII, fr

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 A MUM/4S o. from Tfr/1 PERM A TTOR/VEY Nav. 26,' 1940.Y T. o. KosATKA 2.223,324

cLosmG MEANS Fon METAL smaLLs Filed Oct. 29. 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 YTHU/w45 o. ,from rm WE/vm? fr G.' J A FVW/,

Nov. 26, V1940 T. o. KosATKA 2,223,324 n :msnm MEANS Fon METAL suELLsFiled oct. 29, 1938 5 sheets-sheet 3 THOMAS o. mur/A /M/fA/m/P Pff?F1676.

,47m/wir www 6, 1940. T. o. KosATKA 2,223,324

cLosING MEANS Fon METAL sHELLs Filed Oct. 29, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FfG. 7 i I A TTRNEY mm2@ w40. T Q KOSA'TKA azsszm CLOSING MEANS FOR METALSHELLS Filed OC'L. 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Pff? ,47m/mfr Y PatentedNov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES APn'rsrrr orrlcs cnoslNoMssNs ron Marsi.slums o. xn stk, clem; un-udrnoricvicm Manufacturing s; Gasket Company,Chicago,

` IILJcorporationoilllinois Apoucaucn october ze, 193s, sulla No.231.751

Claims. (C1. 113-52) This invention relates to an improved closing meansfor metal shells and has, for one' of its principal objects, theprovision of a simple yet eillcient device which will adequately' andproperly close or spin down the edges oi metallic shells,

usually about aninner shell, so as to form a complete unitary structure.

One of the important objects of this invention is the provision of aclosing means' for metallic shells which can be specifically applied tothe production of devices known as oil seals or grease ret ers, whichdevices usually comprise a ilexible sealing element or diaphragm held inposition about a rotatable shaft by means of a conis taining shell,usually formed ot two or more pieces, which shell is then iltted into ahousing surrounding a shaft.

One ci the important objects oi this invention is to provide a closingdevice for oil seal shells or the like which will automaticallycompensate for slight irregularities in the shape, size'and dimensionsof the shells while, at the same time, producing an adequate andliquid-tight seal under practically all circumstances.

Another important object oi the linvention is to provide a closingdevice ior metal shells, particularly oil seals or grease retainershells. which can be readily used in conjunction with a drill press andother appurtenances which will render the sealing operationsemi-automatic.

A further important object oi the invention is the provision of asealing device for grease retainer shells or oil seals which can bequite readily employed with a punch press and which,

by the use and introduction of further appurtenances, will render thesealing or clomng operation practically entirely automatic.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and, followingspecification.

The invention, in a preferred form. is shown in the drawings andhereinafter more fully de scribed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail view, partly in section, oi'

the improved sealing device of this invention,

showing the same as about to begin an operation upon an oil seal shellalso shown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a representative oil seal shell afterhaving been closed or sealed by the improved device of this invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevation oi the. sealing device illustrated inFigurel.

Figure 4 is a view, illustrating a type of automatic feed which may beemployed in conjunction with the sealing device of the inven. tion.

Figure 5 is a side elevation, showing the improved sealing device o!this invention as 5 mounted on a drill press and also illustrating theemployment in conjunction with a drill press of an automatic means forremoving the completed devices after'the closing operation has beenperformed.l 10

Figure 6 is a iront elevation of s. punch press. showing the improvedsealing device oi this invention applied thereto and adapted tol be usedtherewith. y

Figure 7 is a side elevation oi the punch press, u parts being brokenaway, showing the same with appurtenances as adapted for the use of theimproved sealing device of this invention.

Figure 8 is a detailof the rotatably mounted I tool and chuck in thehead of the punch press. 20

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the automatic feding mechanism as shownin Figure 4.

Figure l0 is a front elevation ofthe feeding mechanism of Figures 4 and9. 4

As shown in the drawings: 25

The reference numeral i0 indicates generally a stem or support uponwhich the improved sealing device of this invention is mounted, the sameincluding a platform i2 having slidably positioned therein two dependingsupports I4, which 30 may be adjusted toward or from each other by meansof a hand screw I6. i

Each of these supports i4 is bifurcated as shown and includes a shaft i8upon which is mounted a wheel or roller 20, the rollers having their 35inner faces beveled as illustrated. Suitable lubricating means 22 isprovided for each shaft and roller.

As will be obvious, the. oil sealV or grease retainer, which generallycomprises an outer shell 40 24 and an inner shell 28 together with ailexible diaphragm or sealing element 28, is preliminarily assembled,the inner shell 26 being simply dropped into the outer shell 24, and thedevice is then placed under the sealing structure, the same being thendepressed, either by hand in a drill press or mechanically as in a punchpress, to a predetermined amount so as to bend the upper edges of theouter shell 24 inwardly and down upon the uppermost face oi the innershell 26, ,50 producing a completed composite seal as shown in Figure 2.

In employing a drill press such as that shown at lil in Figure 5, thehandle 32 is operated to depress the member 34 which carries the sealing55 element and, at the same time, rotates the same by means of the gears3l. 'Ihis then operates on the oil seal or grease retainer24 placed in asuitable support 38 mounted on the drill press frame, whereupon thesealing operationl is simply and eieotively completed.

Attached to the operating handle 32 is an arm 40 .having a roller 44pivotally mounted on its end. This roller is held in position by meansof a spring or the like 46 and operates against a trigger 48 connectedto a valve 50 in an air line 52.

The construction is such that upon the return` of the handle ,32 tooriginal position and a consequent upward movement of the element 34with the sealing device attached, the valve in the air line is suddenlyopened and a strong blast of air is directed at the lower portion of thecompleted seal 24, whereupon it is immediately blown out of its positionin the stand 38, and the strength of the blast of air can be soregulated that the completed seal is ejected to such a distance that itwill fall into a receptacle provided therefor or otherwise be deliveredinto a chute which will collect the assembled seals as they arecompleted.

In Figures 6 and "l, the sealing device |020 of this invention is shownas mounted on a punch press whereby the operation can be made still moreautomatic and also can be controlled to a considerable degree ofaccuracy.

The device is suitably supported in the ram 54 of the punch press abovea support 56 in which incompleted seals 24 are positioned, and the punchpress is then released for operation byy means of the usual handles 58,there being two of these handles as best shown in Figure 6, which mustbe operated simultaneously by both hands of the operator so as to insurethe absence of the operators hands from the proximity of the shell 24when the ram with the sealing device descends.

In order to rotate the sealing device for completion oi the shellclosing operation, a chain 60 is provided passing around sprockets, onesprocket being mounted on the ram 54 and rotatable with the sealingdevice and the other sprocket being on the end of the shaft 82 driven bya motor 64 mounted at the rear of the punch press and supported bybrackets or extensions 68 which are attached to and move with the punchpress ram 54. In this manner, a proper rotation of the sealing device isassured at all times and in all positions, especially when the ram is inits lowermost position, and the closing operation is actually beingperformed on the shell.

A spring 68 is mounted in the ram 54 surrounding the upper end of theshaft I or its support, this spring being strong enough to assure aproper sealing pressure on the elements 20 while, at the Sametime,allowing of some small relative movement between the closing device |020andthe ram 54 itself, thereby automatically compensating for slightirregularities which will inevitably occur in the size of the shells 24even though the same were made in production and for the same units.Obviously, different sizes of shells can be adequately closed by thisdevice; rst, by adjusting-the distance between the rollers or wheels 20and also by adjusting the position of the supporti ing rod I0 in thepunch press ram 54.

An automatic feed may also be provided for the oil seal shells to beclosed, this being best illustrated in Figure 4 wherein a plurality ofthe uncompleted shells 24 may be stacked in a tubular v container l0which may be mounted on either a punch press or a drill press and whichis provided with a slide 12 operated by means of gears 14 and racks 1Gconnected to either the head of the drill press or the ram of the punchpress as indicated at 'IB and which carries the closingV neath theelement Ill-20.

It will be obvious that each time the ram ascends, the slide 12 is movedforwardly, thereby pushing the lowermost shell 24out from under thestack in the tube 10, and the length of the slide and the dimensions ofthe gears and racks is such thatit will be automatically positioneddirectly beneath the closing device 20, and upon the following downwardmovement of the ram, the operation will be completed, whereupon theclosed shell may be removed by means of a blast of air as illustrated inFigure 5 or by hand, if preferred. while the slide 12 is automaticallyreturned to its original position for another and subsequent shellfeeding movement.

It will be obvious that herein is provided a closing device which isparticularly adapted for oil seals or grease retainer shells,particularly because of its ease and certainty of operation and A spring68, when used with a punch press construction, will also assure the sameresult. This will also avoid undesirable buckling of the outer shellwhich has often occurred in sealing operations as heretofore practiced,and which, inaddition to tending to produce leakage, alsorenders theshell itself difiicult of installation.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limitingthe patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the priorart.

I claim as my invention:

1. A closing device for mtal shells, comprising a tool head, a pair ofrollers mounted in the head,

means for simultaneously rotating and depressing the head, said meansincluding a punch press structure, a motor mounted on the ram of thepunch press, chain and sprocket connections between the motor and thehead, and a spring between the punch press ram and the tool head forautomatically compensating for variations in the shells to be closed.

the receptacle for removing the lowermost shell tween the two rackswhereby motion is transmitfrom the stack upon a forward motion, meansfor ted from the 'rack connected to the head moving reciprocating theslide, said means comprising a element to the rack parallel with andconnected geared rack connected to the head moving eleto the slide.ment, and another geared rack being parallel with and connected to theside, and gears be- THOMAS O. KOSATKA.

